I had a guide stopped while driving up to my lodge a couple years ago with an expired PAL. He had moved out of mom and dads and missed the renewal. Then applied for it and was waiting for the new one in the mail.
Got stopped in Toad River at a C/O check stop and they confiscated his guide rifle. He explained the new one was on its way but they wouldn’t give it back. When he explained he was going into the back country the following day for 2 months and he needed protection, they told him to just borrow a rifle from your boss when you get to the lodge, which he did. They were fine with that but wouldn’t give him his rifle back.
I went into Fort Nelson a week later and picked up his rifle, anybody with a PAL could pick it up for him. They said unless abandoned they would never destroy somebody’s rifle.
When I spoke with the regional director that winter after the season he explained it was a new mandate for C/O’s to check PAL’s. He agreed the situation wasn’t ideal, but once confiscated regardless of the technicality they couldn’t give it back to the young man.
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